Step up patrolling, Mamata tells police

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday urged police personnel across the state to be more mobile and increase their patrolling to boost vigilance.

"Police should not work only from police stations. You have to be more mobile. Visit villages more and patrol desolate areas where criminal activity occurs. Listen to the people...if you patrol more, then criminal activities will come down," she said at an award ceremony for outstanding officers of the state police.

"There should an index listing the number of known criminals in that area, the various public places and other locations...it should be like a directory for reference by the officers," she said.

Banerjee envisaged a civilian police force to deliver speedy service.

"Civilians who demonstrate supreme acts of bravery, will be recruited in the police force. We want to set up a force of civilians. When disaster strikes and police is called, in the time that police takes to arrive, civilians can help," she said.

Banerjee lamented the dearth of personnel in the state police department and urged parents to educate their children to join the Indian Police Service (IPS).

She stressed on welfare of families of policemen and announced a slew of projects, including free land for housing, sponsored tours to spend quality time with family and special schools for children of police personnel.